College (and Life) Resources
The Writing and Language Development Center (WLDC) is a great place to get help and feedback on your essays. They can help you at any stage of the writing process, from generating ideas to preparing a paper for submission. (Note that are not a proofreading or editing service, so please don’t expect them to “look at your paper and fix it.” ) They also have workshops and access to computers. In addition to the Marysville center, they usually have a limited presence at the Sutter Center. They also have online tutoring available.
Here’s is a video that they’ve created, which might give you a good idea of what they offer (as well as tutoring related to other disciplines):
Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) offers support for students with physical and learning disabilities. If you know (or suspect) you have a learning disability, be sure to contact them. There are resources available to support you.
The Yuba College Library has great staff. Since COVID, they’ve developed a strong online presence. (I’ll talk a bit more about the library during the course, especially as we approach the research portion.)
The Yuba College Counseling Department has both in-person and online counselors to help. They can help with a lot of different needs, from academic questions (what classes should I take if I want to go to Chico?) to personal questions (I’m hungry and don’t have any money. Where can I get food?)
Yuba College’s Basic Needs Services helps connect students with a range of community-based resources related to food, housing, childcare, transportation, financial aid, health, and mental wellness so that students can remain in classes to focus on their academic success.
This includes Dusty’s Pantry, which provides food for students and their families, while also connecting students with longer-term resources. You’ll find the pantry on both the Marysville campus, in Building 100B, Room 101A, across from Admissions and Records; and at the Sutter Center, in the Tutoring Center.
You’ll find links to other resources at their campus webpage, but you can also contact them by phone, at (530) 741-8988.
Canvas Help
I’ve been creating short videos explaining how Canvas works in my course. (Every teacher uses Canvas a little differently.) Generally, I’ll introduce the videos in the modules, when the information would be useful.
More generally, though, Yuba College offers many helpful Online Learning Resources, including general information and resources about Distance Education, as well as links to Canvas guides, video tutorials, general FAQs, and guides specifically for mobile phones and tablets.
Canvas also has a Student Guide, which is pretty complete.
And if you need more help, you can contact one of the Help Desks:
- Any time, you can email Yuba College’s Help Desk at helpdesk@yccd.edu;
- During working hours (Mon – Fri 8:00 am – 5:00 pm), you can reach Yuba College’s Help Desk at (530) 741-6981;
- After hours (Mon – Fri 5:00 pm – 8:00 am, and weekends), you can reach Canvas’s Help Desk at (844) 303-8279.
Closing Thoughts
Online classes can be challenging; they require a high level of self-discipline, organization, and “self-starting.” It’s easy to get behind — and that can lead to feeling overwhelmed, which can lead to procrastination that gets you even further behind, and so on. It’s a nasty cycle. (I speak from experience.)
So: if you find yourself struggling, I hope you will reach out — to me, at least, or to some of the resources listed above. Please don’t think that I’ll be upset, or that I won’t care, or that I won’t want to help.
I want you to succeed. Of course, I can’t do it for you — I don’t give grades; you earn them. But I’ll support you however I can.
See you around.